SCM Membership Fees

In October, General Council (GC – SCM’s student-led decision making body) voted unanimously to increase the SCM annual membership fee from £1 to £5. Below, Alex, a trustee, explains why they came to this decision and how it will help to ensure the sustainability of SCM’s work.

The Background

Back in October GC had their first meeting since the new trustees started their terms this summer. One of the items on our agenda was regarding membership fees, and the proposal that these should be re-examined to make sure that SCM can more sustainably provide the benefits of membership.

SCM is very proud of the support and resources it provides for its members, and the role that benefits of membership play in supporting, empowering and resourcing students at university and for the future. Members receive a free subscription to Movement magazine, access to an array of regional and national events, free leadership training, and seasonal mailings with practical (and fun!) resources throughout the year. They also have the opportunity to represent SCM at World Student Christian Federation events internationally, stand for an election to be a trustee or portfolio holder on GC and have their say in the direction of the movement through voting in the annual AGM.

The Details

Over the summer period, a poll was conducted online in order to ascertain the views of SCM members regarding a membership fee increase, and it found that a majority of respondents would be willing to pay £5 annually. Based on this, and how valuable we believe membership is to students, GC decided to increase the one-year membership fee to £5. GC were also aware that many students are undergraduates for three years, so with this in mind they decided that a three-year membership should carry a discounted rate of £12.50 (instead of £15 for three single-year memberships).

Even with the increase in fees the cost of resourcing members outweighs the price of membership. However, as we exist to support students, we’re committed to providing as much as possible for members at the lowest possible cost to them, and the increase in fees will go some way to making the cost of membership benefits more sustainable.

What if I’ve already paid for a membership at the lower rate?

Don’t worry! GC also discussed this as we were concerned that many members will have already bought one or three-year memberships at the lower rate. These are still valid! The increased fees will only apply to new memberships and current members when their memberships expire. Any members who have paid the lower rate recently and would like to make a donation to support SCM’s work can do so here.

Keep sharing your views!

GC consists entirely of current students and recent graduates, so we know some things about students’ experiences – but not everything! If you have any concerns about changes to membership fees, or about anything else SCM, please speak to us!